Men's Bargello Purse
before 1767
3 3/4 in. x 5 1/4 in. x 1/2 in.
Abigail Marvin,
Object Type:
Clothing and Accessories
Medium and Support:
wool on canvas with a sterling silver clasp
Credit Line:
Florence Griswold Museum; Gift of the Estate of David Parsons Samson, Jr. in Honor of the Centennial
Accession Number:
1997.16.1
This rare men's work purse, the precursor to a modern day briefcase, was made for Marshfield Parsons by his second wife. Parsons ran a tavern in Old Lyme at the time of the American Revolution. He was a Colonel. Abigail died in 1782 at age 35.